I have a 1976 F250 2wd long bed super cab. The Manuel says that the GVW is 8100 lbs. And the registration says that the truck weights 5000 lbs. so 3000lbs hauling weight? And can I push that further? to like 4500lbs? I know thats 1500lbs over but Ive seen people with the bumper an inch off the ground. and there truck was keeping up with traffic. Any help is appreciated. I am going to pick up some roofing sometime in the future. I was thinking of putting the pallet as close to the cab as possible to even out the weight between the axles.

 

Yes, if GVW is 8,100 lbs and your truck weighs 5,000 lbs then the manufacturer is saying you can haul 3,100 lbs. Keep in mind though that 5,000 lbs was with the truck empty, as it sits in your driveway I'll bet it weighs 6,000 or more. From a safety standpoint you shouldn't haul more than the GVW because that is what the engine/transmission/differential/brake/suspension combination was built for. You can exceed that safely if you upgrade brakes, transmission, suspension, etc.

Legality is another issue and depends on your state. Some states such as California do not allow you to exceed manufacturer's GVW. Other states, such as Washington where your profile says you are, allow you to weigh up to 600 lbs per inch of tire width, per tire (don't take my word for this as my info may be old or incorrect, verify it for yourself).

The third part is what your insurance company will cover you for. For example, if you load your truck to 600 lbs of tire width, assuming each tire is 6" wide with perfectly even distribution, you can *legally* carry 14,400 lbs in Washington. However, if you get in an accident your insurance company may say you exceeded the GVW and refuse to pay liability or drop you.

 

The simplest and easiest solution is to rent a trailer.
Yes, people exceed the GVW on old trucks quite often. Do they do it? Yes. Is it smart? No!

 

As a general comment I have hauled 2500-3000 # many times on a 3/4 ton PU. That's a full load but safe and won't damage the truck if driven reasonably. I have hauled over that also but not too often and didn't like it. Not to mention safety, but frames, springs and axles may get hurt by the overload. Agree with the suggestion to use a trailer for the heavier loads.

 

Yes and no. Yes, that means 3,000 lbs payload(if that is the actual weight). No, that doesn't mean it can all be in the bed. You also have a rawr (rear axle weight rating) that you have to take into account too. Just making these numbers up, but say you have a 4,000 lb rawr and empty you have a rear axle weight of 2,000 lbs, then putting a 2,100 lb pallet of bricks directly over your rear axle will have you over your rawr even though you are under your gvwr. You also need to check your tire weight ratings too. The weakest link will be your limiting factor.